Save the Date for PRO EX Education Conference and Trade Show
Mark your calendars for November 18-21, 2025 (new date!) for PRO EX 2025. Join us as we celebrate 30 years of knowledge, creativity, and discovery in parks and recreation. We’re calling all trailblazers to connect, innovate, and shape the future of our communities. Stay tuned for more updates on what promises to be an unforgettable milestone event. 

Newly Accredited Organizations Commit to Quality Recreation and Sport Programming for Children
PRO extends warm congratulations to the City of Brampton, Today's Family (Halton Branch), and Jump for Joy Play Centre on achieving HIGH FIVE® Accreditation, the highest recognized level of quality and safety assurance in children’s recreation and sport programming in Canada. Read PRO's full statement here.

PRO Welcomes Provincial Funding Increase to Support Active Living for Seniors
On June 11, Minister Raymond Cho, Minister of Seniors and Accessibility, announced an expansion and investment in Senior Active Living Centre programs. This investment will support provision of enriching, safe, and meaningful recreation programs for older adults. Read PRO's full statement here.

2023 Annual Report

2023 was a year of continued growth for PRO. Our sector’s changing landscape requires that we remain a dynamic and responsive organization. We continued to build capacity in the sector and advanced the benefits of high quality parks and recreation. Collectively, we must embrace a transformative vision for the sector, reimagining the role that parks and recreation play. READ MORE

• PRO Provides Province with 2024 Budget Recommendations
  On January 18,  PRO appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs to participate in the 2024 Ontario Pre-Budget Consultations.
• 
  Read PRO's full submission and budget recommendations. 

PRO Commends Provincial Funding Increase to Ontario’s After School Program
On October 19, 2023, Minister Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, announced an additional $1.1 million in provincial funding to support Ontario's After School Program. Ontario's total investment is $14.6 million for the 2023-2024 school year. Read PRO's full statement here.

New Learning Management System for Parks and Recreation Ontario 

On May 23, 2023, Dr. Adil Shamji, MPP along with PRO staff launched PRO's new learning management system. Thanks to funding provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, PRO staff have been able to update technology required to offer virtual professional development opportunities. READ MORE

Aquatics Wage Survey Report

The aquatics sector has long faced issues with the recruitment and retention of qualified staff to lifeguard and deliver programming. In the fall of 2022, Parks and Recreation Ontario released the Aquatics Wage survey to gather data on staff recruitment and retention in the aquatics sector. The survey sought information on wages, other forms of compensation, job titles, and descriptions. READ MORE

2023 Camp Provision Survey

In the summer of 2022, Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) released the

Camps Survey to gather data related to issues of staff recruitment and

retention. This reports summarizes these findings and highlights recommendations for future advocacy. READ MORE